Nolly Silver Screen
ISSUE 02 MAR 2014
NIGERIA CENTENARY
Nollywood honoured
TOPE OSHIN OGUN
Filmmaker Extraordinaire A MIC AFFAIR
10 Nollywood stars who tried music
LIONS RISING: Celebrating Africa’s budding talents
GIVEAWAY
Win cinema tickets
EDITOR’S NOTE
www.nollysilverscreen.com
REVIEWS NEWS
It
is funny how time flies; one minute, we are putting final touches on our maiden edition, the next, we are wrapping up the March issue. So much has been happening in the film world. In February, the winners of the Afrinolly Awards were celebrated and rewarded (p. 13 ). Nollywood was also honoured in Nigeria’s centennary awards (p.10). Awards season is in the air; the AMVCAs in March and the AMAAs in April. We really can’t wait for all the red carpet action, speeches, performances and ofcourse, the awards themeselves. Our cover star this month is the unstoppable T.O.O. (Tope Oshin-Ogun).
the multi-talented filmmaker is a source of inspiration for anybodywanting to join the industry. In her interview, she gives us a sneak peek into what it is like being a woman behind the cameras (p. 7). This note won’t be complete without my thank you speech (just like the awards). To Tosin Ajibade (Olorisupergal), Joy Isi Bewaji, Shuaibu Hussein, Chinwe Obinwanne, Rayo Adebola, Muyiwa Awojide, Davirus and Bola Aduwo, thank you for everything! And my wonderful team, you’re the best! Enjoy! Isabella Akinseye @iakinseye
COMPETITIONS
INTERVIEWS
GHOLLYWOOD
AWARDS
RED CARPET
CINEMA LISTINGS
ARTICLES
PHOTO: EMANUEL PAUL
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SHORT FILMS WEB SERIES AUDITIONS
FESTIVALS DOCUMENTARIES
THEATRE
SOME OF THIS EDITION’S CONTRIBUTORS
Agina Eberechukwu Gloria is a graduate
Wilfred Okiche believes in God, medicine, music and movies. A medical doctor, occasional writer, columnist and profiler, he surrenders to the power of words whenever it comes. Check out his piece ‘A Mic Affair: 10 Nollywood stars who tried music’ (p. 3).
The last Nollywood movie she watched was
Gbolahan
Adams Oluwaponmile Innocent Ekejuiba is an alumnus of Obafemi Orija is studying Food
runs his own media company where he has handled numerous projects for different clients over the years. He sees himself venturing into animation, developing his comic brands and staging an exhibition. View his cartoon strip ‘Rollicking Nollies’ (p.14).
Science and Technology at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. She loves writing and has published several works in the newspapers. She shares her experience of watching a Nollywood film at the cinema with her friends (p. 4).
Awolowo University. He is the Deputy Editor of Nolly Silver Screen (the website and the magazine). An avid blogger and budding graphics designer, he reviews the winning short film and documentary in this year’s Afrinolly Awards (p. 11).
The last Nollywood The last Nollywood movie she watched was movie he watched was
The last Nollywood movie he watched was
Mr. and Mrs.
Deep Inside.
Ije.
The last Nollywood movie she watched was
Red Hot.
Phone Swap.
Follow @aginaebere
Follow @drwill20
Follow @gadamsyn
Follow @ o_ponmile
Follow @Prince_ice
of Mass Communication from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. She is a freelancer and contributes entertainment stories for The Nigerian Telegraph. She profiles the Nollywood filmmakers that received Centenary Awards from the President. (p. 10).
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Write ‘n’ win
CONTENTS March 2014 FEATURES
3 10 NOLLYWOOD STARS WHO TRIED
MUSIC
4 MY NOLLYWOOD CINEMA EXPERIENCE 9 TOP 5 NIGERIAN PRODUCTION HOUSES INTERVIEWS
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TOPE OSHIN-OGUN: FILMMAKER EXTRAORDINAIRE COMPETITION
t you have Write to us about wha and stand a enjoyed in this edition lous prizes. chance of winning fabu giving out This month, we will be Oguama2 copies of Uduak Isong egirls. Also, nam’s Desperate Hous a tickets to up for grabs are cinem in Nigeria. see a Nollywood movie rscreen.com Email: info@nollysilve l media Get in touch via socia lysilverscreen www.facebook.com/nol llysilverscreen www.google.com/+no rscreen www.twitter.com/nsilve
2 FREE GIVEAWAYS READERS’ CORNER
REGULARS
1 EDITOR’S NOTE 1 CONTRIBUTORS’ BIOS 2 READERS’ CORNER 4 CELEBRATIONS THIS MONTH 6 ON SET 10 NEWS 11REVIEWS 13 RED CARPET 14 DVD RELEASES EXTRAS
4 VOX POP 4 WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THE STARS 9 NOLLY POP QUIZ
NOLLY SILVER SCREEN TEAM PUBLISHER Quill and Scroll Creatives EDITOR Isabella Akinseye DEPUTY EDITOR Innocent Ekejuiba GRAPHICS & LAYOUT Isabella Akinseye
CONTRIBUTORS Gbolahan Adams Effiong Ekpenyong Agina Eberechukwu Wilfred Okiche Ponmile Orija EDITORIAL BOARD Temitayo Amogunla Bola Atta Bola Audu Toni Kan
CONTACT US Email letters to info@nollysilverscreen.com
Nolly Silver Screen is a monthly online magazine of www.nollysilverscreen.com Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.
and I have read your blog keep t, really like the conten be up the posts as I will back. Clive
Good review. I have high hopes to see more no llywood movies. Will definite ly check this one out. Davirus
I love the templates and colours!!! It’s Great!! Adelakun Sodiq Adekola
Altogether, th is is a great fi rst effort, even m ore so when it is the first of it about s kind. The te am behind the Nolly Silv er Screen ma gazine has shown remark able understa nding of the Nigeri an film indust ry, and this reflected greatly throu g h magazine as out the the articles a nd reviews were interest ing to read. T he interview with O.C . Ukeje was v ery fresh and engagin g. I am very im pressed with this effo rt and I reall y look forward to th e next editio n. Kingsley Iwe
ka
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d o o w y ll o N 0 1 : R I A MIC AFFA ic s u m d ie r t o h w stars Tonto Dikeh
BY WILFRED OKICHE Lilian Bach
Lilian Bach isn’t a very good actor but she is cast in movies anyway, perhaps on account of her pretty face. She also is not a very good singer as seen in her release ‘God Go Bless This Marriage’. A couple of rotations and it fizzled out of our consciousness.
Perhaps the most notorious music foray to come out of Nollywood, Tonto Dikeh came complete with signature sign off #Poko and a thick skin to ward off the most vicious of criticisms. Her debut solo singles ‘Hi’ and ‘It’s Ova’ swept the nation with the force of their odiousness but Miss. Dikeh was not the least bothered. She promised appreciation would follow with time. It did not. More singles followed instead before she decided to put the unnecessary experiment on hold.
Dayo Amusa
The buxom Yoruba actress enjoyed crossover success in 2013 with her hit movie Unforgivable directed by Desmond Elliot. She cashed in by releasing a song and accompanying video of the same title this year. The film was considered a success but the jury is still out on her music adventure.
PHOTO CREDITS
Omotola Jalade Ekeinde: KonnectAfrica. Net Genevieve Nnaji: Wikipedia Jim Iyke: Gistmania Susan Peters : Fabmagazine online Nkem Owoh: Iroko Heritage Lilian Bach: Linda Ikeji Desmond Elliot: E4pr Stella Damasus: YNaija Dayo Amusa: Linda Ikeji Tonto Dikeh: Naijabiz.com
Desmond Elliot
Nowadays, Desmond Elliot goes by the title prolific director and boss of Denziott productions but in a former life he was a prolific actor and wannabe singer. He tested his vocal cords on the soundtrack to the Charles Novia directed flick Missing Angel then slummed shamelessly through some traditional gospel choruses even as audiences looked on in disbelief. No surprises when he did not record a hit. He has since turned his attention to filmmaking.
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Nkem Owoh
The ace comic and one time highest earning actor in all of Nollywood also caught the music bug and put out ‘I Go Chop Your Dollar’, an ode to advance fee fraud. The NBC came down hard; banning the song, excluding broadcast on local television and radio stations, and limiting its airplay and video.
Jim Iyke
Nollywood’s baddest boy hit a rough patch some years ago when he decided to turn his talents to singing. Not even enlisting the services of one of Africa’s finest 2face Idibia could save the album Who am I? from flopping fast. And the negative media blitz that trailed the release parties did more damage than good.
Stella Damasu
s The actres s was a sig nificant m late hubb ember of y’s band S her ynergy an ‘Love Son d their sin g’ was a s gle leeper hit She went back in th off the gr e d id for a w in 2012 w hile only to ay. ith a new r e s turn in gle ‘Love has receiv Me Quick ed decent ’. She rev not enoug h to consid iews for her music but er a full-ti me career . Omotola Jala
de Ekeind She may h ave convin e ced the fo zine that h lks at Tim er singing e magais as good are not bu as her acti ying any o ng but we f that. Om cookie tho o-Sexy is ugh as sh one tough e has refu much mali sed to giv gned mus e up on her ic new album career. Sh e has thre , Me, Mys atened a elf & Eyes debut Gb to follow a but that u p her 200 has been Her latest 5 years in th single ‘Ba e making. rren’ was There is n released in o stoppin January. g this lady !
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MY Nollywood
BY OLUW
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CINEMA Exper
APONMIL
ience
E ORIJA
Recently my friend and I visited the cinema. We just want wanted to watch a movie and didn’t bother to check the listings. After buying our snacks, we were forced to watch a Nollywood movie. It wasn’t the plan and I definitely had it in mind to see a foreign movie. Unfortunately, the Nigerian movie time was more convenient for us as we didn't want to leave late, so we opted for it.
Accept it or not, Nollywood has come a long way and I can definitely say there’s a whole lot of improvement. Personally, I am a fan of quality pictures and good cinematography. Nollywood movies have upgraded in that aspect. I have also noticed that most of the soundtracks of recently released Nollywood movies are much more in accordance with the movies. Sometimes, one even begins to wish the soundtracks don't stop playing Days after seeing the movie and despite the while watching. Abut 80% of the actors and fact that our male friends teased us for go- actresses act naturally and interpret their ing to a cinema to see a Nollywood movie, roles well and the storylines are more reamy friend and I knew that we hadn’t wasted sonable and realistic. Although, we still have our money. Funny enough, the movie is not cases of repeated storylines from Hollywood and Bollywood in some of the movies, I am yet out on DVD unlike other movies which after two weeks of being in the cinema be- certain that a lot of our movies will keep im come common and free for all. proving.
Another amazing fact is how Nollywood has continued undeterred despite several challenges encountered especially inside the country. Nigerian movie directors have really come a long and so much effort is being put in place to minimise the errors in them. Producers are also spending a lot of money on costume and makeup for the cast. These make the movies more enjoyable to watc Kudos, to all those who have contributed to the industry’s success thus far. Long live Nollywood! All in all, I believe in the new Nollywood and if you ask me, I will definitely love to see another Nollywood movie at the cinema.
“Despite the fact that our male friends teased us for going to a cinema to see a Nollywood movie, my friend and I knew that we hadn’t wasted our money.“
WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THE STARS “Content is king because people remember great stories because of the message it carries and not the directorial style.” ENEAJI CHRIS ENENG, Nollywood director
VOX POP
What is your favourite Nigerian movie or top three? Here is what you tweeted...
Saworoide
TITILAYO OYINSAN
at this is th lf se ur yo r fo ow kn e as “Ple hat you want who you are and this is w life. After that ur yo of st re e th r fo do to your life is sorted, run with it like ined and depends on it. Be determ cessary to develop the stay power ne t and silence.” sustain periods of drough O.C. UKEJE, Nollywood actor
Young Smoker (short film) and Hoodrush (feature length). AJAO ADEWUNMI
A Mile From Home, Confusion Na Wa & Awakening TOPE TEDELA Newton Aduaka’s One Man Show DERIN AJAO
On Bended Knees,Ties that Bind & Tango with Me FEMI
The Meeting MAKIDA MOKA
BY ISABELLA AKINSEYE
MARCH CELEBRATIONS
7 5 15 12 Pete Chioma Juliet Ali Ibrahim Edochie Akpotha Nuhu
31 Bukky Wright
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PICTURES FROM THE SET OF TUNDE KELANI’S DAZZLING MIRAGE
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\ N U G O N I H S e r i O a n E i d r o a r TOP xt E r e YE k E S a N I K m A LA Film Y ISABEL B
8 Can you remember the day you decided to pursue a career in filmmaking? The exact day I’m not sure I do but I remember the period. I was just pregnant with my last baby (he is now 8 years old). I just felt the sudden nudge and drive to do something about the latent curiosity I had nursed for a while. Hence, I spent the entire 9 months of the pregnancy gobbling up all sorts of literature, materials and books on directing and filmmaking. I also was watching and studying loads of movies as well as researching online.
for daring to break the norm and their entrepreneurial bravery as filmmakers. If you were in government, what is the one thing you will do for the industry? Get more women trained and equipped to work behind the scenes. Tell us about your experience directing New Horizons. It was quite interesting. Having to deal with and manage 4 female leading actors in Nigeria, together, on the same movie, on the
Did you have an ‘aha’ moment or was it a gradual process for you? It was a gradual process for me. The seed had been sown by a senior colleague who felt I had inherent talents beyond acting and encouraged me to pursue them. However, I didn’t pick up on the thought till about 4 years later.
What will you consider as your greatest achievement till date? My children; the greatest ever. If you were not in filmmaking, what would you be doing? I’d be a painter. The 2 things I’d always been interested in and engaged in as a growing child – drawing/painting and make believe.
Did you receive support from friends and family to follow your dreams? I received great support from my husband primarily, and then friends and senior colleagues in the industry were awesome. People like Faruk Lasaki, Ruke Amata, Femi Odugbemi, Austin Awulonu and Amechi Obi, to mention a few. They all encouraged and helped provide platforms for me to learn and launch into a full blown career in directing and producing.
What should we expect from you in 2014? I’m committed to directing a soap opera or 2 this year. I’m just done shooting a talk and I pray to God I have the time in my schedule to shoot that feature I promised myself this year.
How well did your education background and work experience prepare you for your chosen path? Well, I studied Theatre arts, TV & Film production at the Lagos State University, Ojo. This provided the basic foundation for my launch into the entertainment industry, first as an actor and voice over artiste and eventually, filmmaking.
Which of your babies (works) is your favourite? It would probably be my first short film and personal production The Young Smoker. Maybe because it was a first.
As a woman in the industry, do you have to work twice as hard to prove yourself? In some instances, it would appear so but I generally and personally do not work to please anyone particularly at this stage in my life. I work to do the best by myself; the best by the high standards I always adhere to. I like to challenge myself to do more with each new project I direct or produce. What are some challenges you face being behind the camera and calling the shots? Top on the list for me is any sort of unpreparedness or unprofessionalism displayed by any member of my cast or crew. I over prepare and spend a great deal of time in pre-production so that things can go smoothly during recording. So, it totally annoys me when I find that an actor has come without knowing their lines or a member of the crew turns up late or under-performs. I generally and totally do not tolerate unprofessionalism on set. Hence, I carefully cast actors I work with and select my crew. Whose work do you admire in Nollywood? Some of the filmmakers I respect and admire are Kunle Afolayan and Kenneth Gyang
Oh wow! As regards keeping the home front functional so I can concentrate while shooting, my husband actually undertakes cooking for the family when I’m away for long stretches on location. My boys are a blessing; they do all chores. On the job itself, my 12 year old son Korede is very much interested in production. He is always on location with me, assisting and learning, whenever I shoot during school holidays. My husband is a writer, and is always kind enough to supply scripts and content when I get the creative itch and need to shoot something. Lol.
What was the last Nollywood movie you watched in the cinema? Brother’s Keeper. same set, was a totally different experience. It is always a delight for me when I produce or direct a story that has to do with creating awareness and changing the ills of the world. It’s something I’m very passionate about – reform and change through entertainment. Producing and directing New Horizons availed me the opportunity to lend my voice once again in helping abused women all over the world. What message do you want the viewers to take with them? It’s never too late to save yourself from a bad situation. And if you find yourself in one, do not be shy to find and ask for help. What are some of the practical ways your husband and children support you in your work?
What are your top three Nollywood movies of all time? Confusion Na Wa, Journey to Self and Letters to a Stranger. What is your favourite line from a movie? “The first time wey I see you, I send you die. Even now as I dey look you, I send you pieces.” It was Yemi Blaq’s character in Letters to a Stranger written by Victor Aghahowa and directed by Fred Amata. For women out there considering coming into Nollywood, what words of wisdom do you have for them? Strive to be the very best at what you choose to do. The very best. Set no boundaries for yourself. Be diligent and strive to develop yourself and hone your craft. Photos courtesy of Tope Oshin-Ogun.
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TOP 5 NIGERIAN PRODUCTION HOUSES
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Mainframe Films
3 Golden Effects Pictures
The Opomulero of Nollywood Is there anything to be said of this production company that is not already known? For years now, Mainframe has been stealing hearts with original African content of high quality. Tunde Kelani understands the concept of staying relevant. He understands it so much so that Mainframe doesn’t have to struggle to be relevant. For a company that produces a lot of Yoruba movies, it does not lack general audience. It is accepted by all ethnicity and the messages being passed are as clear as crystal. To further illustrate it deservedness for the first position in this elite list, it is worth nothing that Mainframe won the CCHub Cultural Shift challenge where movie making met with ICT innovations and marathon computer coding. And believe me, they had good competition, yet Opomulero (the app developed my Mainframe Films) came out tops due to the great blend of ingenuity and indigenous contents.
2 Royal Arts Academy
The Academy Honestly, when a movie production company produces as many movies as the Royal Arts Academy has produced in a year, I usually take my thoughts off them as the movies prove to be amateurish. But there is something different about the Royal Arts Academy. With Desmond Elliot snatching up the role of Director in most of their recent productions, the academy has proven that they have a lot of potential and great directing minds. Headed by Emem Isong, the Royal Arts Academy engages constantly in creating brighter minds and building up feature talents.
NOLLY POP QUIZ BY INNOCENT EKEJIUBA 1. Where was When One Door Closes first premiered? 2. “His War. Her Battle” was the last line in which movie trailer? 3. Which movie won the Best Film award at the 2013 AMAAs? And who directed it? 4. Which movie won the award for the Favourite Nollywood Film at the 2014 Screen Nation Film and TV Awards? 5. Who wrote the article The History of Nollywood in the last edition of Nolly Silver Screen? Answers from last edition can be found online.
The Business side of production. What is there to say about Kunle Afolayan’s movies? Just like Mainframe movies, there is nothing new to say about his productions. However, it may interest you to know that his production company (Golden Effects Studios) is being run as an absolute business. Now he is not really into the business of talent building (like Royal Arts Academy), but he is totally into the money making aspect of the industry. This is very good. Due to the financial focus of Mr. Afolayan and his taste for the abnormal (‘abnormal’ here meaning ABOVE-normal), it is easy to understand why he makes movies that are very pleasing to the eyes. It is one thing to have good directors and it is another to have good actors. It is a different story to have good scripts and another ball game to have the right technical crew to project what is entailed in the scripts. The most difficult part of film production in Nigeria is having all the aforementioned qualities coupled with good financial sense. Kunle Afolayan and the Golden Effects Pictures have them all.
4 Amaka Igwe Studios
No commotion would sink this. Remember Fuji House of Commotions? How long ago was that? How many persons remember that that was a creation of Amaka Igwe? That is the problem with Amaka Igwe Studios. There is a general feeling of obscurity knocking on the doors of the Amaka Igwe studios, but in reality, they are far from that. The studio has proven that they understand how to stay afloat even in troubled times. Amaka Igwe on her part has proven herself to be capa
ble of producing not just high quality TV series (Fuji House of Commotion), but also high quality movies. She has a good understanding of the needs of an audience and even those of the filmmakers. While Amaka Igwe Studios does not take in students on a yearly basis, they organise training and workshops for up and coming actors and screenwriters. The passion of Amaka Igwe might be the only thing keeping the movie production company flourishing, but her visions are enough to set her aside from veterans struggling to strike a balance between just being veteran directors and owning successful production companies.
5 November Productions
Consistency proves pivotal. Charles Novia is better known for his mostly unorthodox but appealing stories and movies. Alan Poza perhaps serves as a good example of a typical November productions. Something out of the ordinary. Something challenging. Something everyone wants to see and understand. Something that is very demanding from cast and crew. On its downside, November Productions falls cesspit that most movie production companies of its time fell into. It is a one man show. A one horse race. And it doesn’t really give much back to the public aside its productions. The ability to give back to the public via training is what gives Amaka Igwe Studios an edge over November Productions but its consistency should not also be taken for granted. Mr. Novia is a man who understands what it means to be consistent and he has been doing that since day 1. - INNOCENT EKEJIUBA
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N E W S
NIGERIA CENTENARY: NOLLYWOOD HONOURED As part of its activities lined up for the celebration of the country’s 100 years of nationhood, President Goodluck Jonathan recognised some Nigerians who have contributed towards the development of the country since its amalgamation by Lord Lugard in 1914. Nollywood’s Olu Jacobs, Patience Ozokwor, Herbert Ogunde and Kenneth Nnebue were honoured.
OLUDOTUN BAIYEWU JACOBS
Flower Girl, 12 Years A Slave and Half of a Yellow Sun Win at the 2014 Screen Nation Film and TV Awards The 2014 Screen Nation Film and TV Awards which took place in London on 23 February 2014 was hosted by Ali Baba and Caroline Chikezie. Below are the full list of winners. Rising Talent: Javone Prince Young Shooting Star: Adelayo Adedayo Diversity in Drama Production (TV): Run – C4 Diversity in Factual Production (TV): First Amongst Equals: The Laurie Cunningham Story – ITV1 Independent Spirit Film Production: Gone Too Far Favourite British International Movie: 12 Years A Slave Favourite Nollywood Film: Flower Girl Female African International Emerging Screen Talent: Lupita Nyong’o Favourite Male African International Emerging Screen Talent: Alex Ekubo Best African Movie: Half of a Yellow Sun Outstanding Contribution: Bill Duke Classic Movie: Do the Right Thing
Popularly known as Olu Jacobs, the native of Abeokuta, trained in at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and starred in many British television shows and series including The Goodies, Till Death do us Part, Barlow at Large and Tomorrow’s People. Having made his mark on British soil, Jacobs returned home in the 1980s and has featured in more than 100 Nollywood movies. Uncle Olu as he is fondly called is married to Joke Silva (Jacobs), also an actress and they have children together. The veteran actor who recently turned 71, won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading role in 2007 and the Industry Merit Award in the 2013 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
PATIENCE OZOKWOR
Mama G as she is popularly known is one of Nollywood leading actress with over 150 movies to her credit. She made her first appearance on screen when she took part in a TV commercial by the Anambra state government. In 1999, she hit the big screen with a lead role in Authority’ which cemented her position in the hearts of film lovers. The actress who many will readily identify her with the character of Azuka (which she plays a wicked woman), is a native of Enugu state. She is blessed with four children. Prior to her accidental venture into the movie world, Mrs. Ozokwor was a Literature teacher, broadcaster and owned a fashion institute. Some of her movies include: Area Mama. Away Match, Blood Apart, Evil Agenda and Silent Rage among others.
HUBERT ADEDEJI OGUNDE
The late Chief Hubert A. Ogunde was a leading actor, playwright, theatre manager and musician who founded the Ogunde Concert in 1945. He premiered its first theatrical performance titiled Tigers Empire in 1946. Chief Ogunde’s role in the movie industry cannot be over emphasised as his call for paid actresses marked the first time in the Yoruba theatre that women appeared as professional artists. Following his Tigers Empire which was an attack on colonial rule, was Darkness and Light, Yoruba Ronu and Otito Koro. All of which made reference to the political events in Western Nigeria and subsequently led to the declaration of a state of emergency in 1963. Prior to his death on the 4 April 1990, he had become a leading producer of Yoruba celluloid movies with films like Jayesinmi and Aiye to his credit. He was also chosen for recognition and honour as one of the fallen heroes of the Nigerian movie industry at the celebration of the Nollywood at 20 awards in 2013.
Classic TV Series (International): The Cosby Show Classic TV Series (UK): Desmond’s Honorary Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts: Governor Godswill Akpabio The Edric Connor Inspiration Award (Posthumous): Felix Dexter Female Performance in TV: Sharon Duncan Best Male Performance in TV: Idris Elba Female Performance in Film: Naomie Harris Male Performance in Film: Chiwetel Ejiofor Favourite Female TV Star: Chizzy Akudolu Favourite Male TV Star: Jimmy Akingbola Favourite Black Channel: ABN TV
KENNETH NNEBUE
At the mention of Kenneth Nnebue, popularly referred to as the ‘father of Nollywood’, Nollywood classics such as Living in Bondage and Glamour Girls readily comes to mind. Those movies helped in giving life to the Nigerian ‘home video’ industry also known as Nollywood. Some reports have said that Mr. Nnebue who was a salesman at the time had excess empty imported video cassettes which spurred in shooting his first film. Under his outfit, NEK movies, he produced several movies . However, decades after making his entry into filmmaking, he has since disappeared from the public as little is being said about him though his contribution to the story of what is today known as Nollywood cannot be complete without a mention of him. - AGINA EBERECHUKWU
DO YOU AGREE WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR ARE THERE FILMMAKERS WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE LIST? email: info@nollysilverscreen.com
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REVIEWS Title: Everything Happens For a Reason Genre: Short film Director: Florian Schott Year: 2013 The first and probably most striking thing about Everything Happens for a Reason is the story being told and the way it was told. Great. Florian Schott really knows how to stimulate suspense and command attention. Now add that to the amazing camera work and video quality and you’ll understand why it is award winning. Amazingly, the biggest problem of the short film also lies in the story. Apparently, Florian got too caught up in the story to realise the ambiguities created by the many inconsistencies and all-too-convenient scenarios in the story. This is top-notch but with a comma. - INNOCENT EKEJIUBA
Title: Living Funeral
Title: Creative Minds
Genre: Trailer
Genre: Documentary
Director: Udoka Oyeka
Director: Victor Okoye
Year: 2013
Year: 2013
Living Funeral is an oxymoron because for you to have a funeral, because the person must be dead, right? This alone makes the movie different. It is not candy coating the realities. It is in-your-face-got-todeal-with-it-now! The cinematography and use of lighting further drives home the sadness associated with a disease like breast cancer as well as child loss. These creative choices make for a more interesting viewing.
Creative Minds has one big problem. It was mistitled. Here is one of the most informative and descriptive documentary about the lives of young Nigerians living in Diaspora I have ever seen. But for some reason, the creator thought it only showed the creative lives of Nigerians abroad. This documentary is more than showing Nigerians who are creating their own pastures abroad, it compares mindsets of people living in Nigeria and people living abroad. This documentary is a vehicle that aims to take minds through the journey of falsities and help them reconcile with life wherever they find themselves. - INNOCENT EKEJIUBA
Thankfully, we get to see the protagonist played by Stephanie Wilson when she looked different – like a normal girl and all made up. We also see her wrapping a bandage around her chest (symbolising the loss of her breasts). From the heart shattering dialogue to the medical props, the sense of loss and foreboding is clearly communicated. The hospital scene shows the helplessness felt by her family. The background music is subtle and creates the right atmosphere. Talking about music, we see a snapshot of Nigerian singers Omawumi and Waje on the microphone. It is hard to fault this piece of work, the only thing I would have done differently was to completely delete the quotes on loss or let them stay on the screen longer. Verdict – Watch Living Funeral because it is different – technique wise and it also takes the dreaded subject of breast cancer from the eyes of a dying child. - ISABELLA AKINSEYE
GUEST REVIEW
Title: Covert Operation Genre: Action Director: Alex Mouth Year: 2013 I was appalled by what I pent 97 mins of my life and time watching. This was a disjointed movie with a watery script, poor acting and a very lazy attempt at post-production. The background music was overshadowing the dialogues and there were terrible visuals due to poor lighting. How this movie made its way into the halls of the cinema is beyond me. Scenes were just cut into each other, most of which made no sense. I have watched a lot of Nollywood movies both good and bad but I am sorry to say, this tops the list of most useless movies (useless does not even begin to quantify how irritating this movie is). - EFFIONG EKEPENYONG
13 Gold Diggin Movie Premiere
1. TOP LEFT: Tarmar Awobotu, Majid Michel, Yvonne Nelson, Tana Adelana, Nikky Ufondu, guest and Denrele Edun 2. TOP RIGHT: Rukky Sanda and guest 3. BOTTOM LEFT: Majid Michel and guests 4. BOTTOM RIGHT: Beverley Osu and Ikay Ogbonna Photos: ISABELLA AKINSEYE
Lions Rising: Celebrating Africa’s budding talents Outstanding filmmakers in the 2nd edition of the just concluded MTN Afrinolly Short Film Competition were honoured in an intimate awards ceremony which took place at the MUSON Centre, Lagos. The event which kicked off with picture taking session on the yellow carpet attracted industry heavy weights such as Tunde Kelani and Femi Odugbemi. Organiser of the event, Chidi Maduegbuna said the night was to celebrate the best of Africa’s filmmakers and provide an opportunity for networking. Head Judge, Femi Odugbemi in his remarks said, “This year’s edition received films and documentaries of a high quality.” A moment of silence was held in memory of the late Komla Dumor who was a member of the judging panel before his untimely demise. In between musical performances from the band, all the finalists were honoured and presented with cash prizes. In addition, new awards in cinematography, performance, storytelling, animation and picture were also presented. Receiving the award for the best short film, Florian Schott told Nolly Silver Screen that Afrinolly gives people the opportunity to watch African films. He added that the platform served as an avenue for African filmmakers to distribute their content. Story: ISABELLA AKINSEYE Photos: Afrinolly Awards Ronke Ogunmakin
Winners posing with their cheques
Michael Asuelime and his parents
Afrinolly Awards Ushers
Mr. and Mrs. Maduegbuna
DVD RELEASES Onikola and Forgetting June Out Now On her own part, Funmi Fiberesima released her debut movie production for viewing on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation February 6, 2014. The movie titled Onikola features Funmi Fiberesima and also the late Fatai Rolling Dollar, Dejumo Lewis, Ara, Sunday Afolabi, Ronke Oshodi Oke, Ibrahim Chatta and a host of other interesting acts. The movie was shot in Iseyin, Oyo state and revolves around the harmful side effects of female circumcision. The Royal Arts Academy’s production Forgetting June is about a young happily married couple who are madly in love and experience the unthinkable. The wife goes on a trip and is involved in a terrible accident where she is thrown from the car and loses her memory. The husband is extremely distraught but some years later finds love in the arms of another, only for the wife regain her memory and come back home. The movie features top acts such as Majid Michel, Mbong Amata, Beverly Naya, Biola Williams and Blossom Chuks Chukwujekwu. It was directed by Ikechukwu Onyeka, written and co-produced by Uduak Isong Oguamanam Isong and has Emem Isong as producer.
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